While in Peru, animal crackers were my drug of choice. But thats not to say that there arent other drugs floating around. Peru and Bolivia are well behind Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico in cocaine production, but there is definitely still an industry here.
Did you know that you can call one of many phone numbers in NYC, and within 3 minutes you can have cocain delivered, no matter where you are. It costs $20 a gram.
Ive always thought chemical drugs are a bad idea- bad for your health, bad for your relationships, bad for your brain. But before this trip, I had never thought about how drug use affects the communities that produce those drugs.
In South America, the cocain industry is ruining lives. Coca farmers are having there fields burned by the DEA, and being forced to work for low wages in the production of pasto basico (coca paste). Women transport drugs as a last resort for cash, and are sentanced to years in prison with all of there children. Peasants forced by poverty into the drug trade are sentanced the death penalty, while a NYU freshman caught with cocaine recieves only a small fine.
Did you know that in Bolivia it is illegal to transport large amounts of toilet paper? Toilet paper and gasoline are two of the main ingredients of pasto basico.
When you choose to use cocaine, you are choosing to oppress so many peopple in this area, and you are putting so many lives in danger. That is something they dont teach you in D.A.R.E. class...
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